Building a career between Russia and the UK

Ignaty Dyakov has been living in London for five years, but he still misses his hometown - Saint Petersburg.

Ignaty
Dyakov, 30

Occupation:
Works in consultancy and education

City
of Origin: Saint Petersburg

From
Saint Petersburg to London: I moved to London on September 15, 2008 to complete
a master’s degree at University College London (UCL), and have been here for
the past 5 years. I arrived at London Gatwick at 9.15am. It was an impromptu
decision: I didn’t know that I would come to live here even half a year before
I moved. For the first three days I didn’t see any English person in the
streets. You are never taught about how multicultural London is at school. You
definitely do not see the Sherlock Holmes-style London. When I landed, one of
the first things I saw was Canary Wharf. I found myself wondering: “Am I in the
States or in Britain?”

On
missing Saint Petersburg: I still miss Saint Petersburg, but I guess it’s a
very common feeling for people from that city... There are things which I
wouldn’t mind having here from my hometown. People are so laidback and relaxed
there. I miss that you can go out on the street and just wander around
surrounded by all those masterpieces. You can go to the Hermitage for a quick
walk and it’s still a special experience.

Adapting
to a British lifestyle: Here they plan everything too much in advance. Once
Christmas is over they will immediately start thinking about what to do for the
next one.

On
doing business in Russia and the UK: In business, a client might approach you
half a year before actually placing an order. It’s different from what you
would experience in Russia, where you can get things done with a snap of your
fingers. However, I am definitely more relaxed when I do business here in
London. It’s not that I experienced any particular pressure when I did business
in Russia - I strongly disagree with people who say that it’s impossible to do
business there. It is possible if you are doing everything according to the
law, if you are making sure that you comply with it. But you are still
stressed, and you can’t stop thinking of what would happen if something went
wrong.

Life
in Essex: My wife and I have recently moved to the countryside, in Essex. It is
a completely different world. London is very international. In Essex you feel a
bit singled out. It would be the same if an Englishman had moved to the Russian
countryside. On the other hand, we live on the seashore, near the Thames, and
that makes it feel much more similar to Saint Petersburg and the Neva.

On
being a Russian in London: I am not sure I ever felt like a true Londoner. I am
a Russian in London, I am a Russian citizen and I even use my Russian language
skills in my job. As an emigrant, I will never get the same level of
understanding of the city that natives have. You can just hope that your
children will integrate better.

On
being Russian: Despite their Soviet past, despite the collectivism of the 19th
century and the peasant communes, Russians are still very individualistic. They
prefer doing everything on their own. You can see it now: in politics we don’t
have any strong single opposition party. They know that there is something
wrong, but they keep on fighting on their own - they never unite.

A
childhood memory: I was in primary school immediately after the 1991 August
putsch in Russia. In Soviet times you would have chosen to become an Little
Octobrist and receive a red star to put on your uniform - it was the first
stage to become a Young Pioneer. After the collapse of the Soviet Union
Orthodoxy became increasingly popular, so children would be given two choices:
being baptised or becoming a Little Octobrist. I remember standing in line and
thinking: “Ok, there is this very nice cross that I can wear around my neck or
this very nice enamelled perfect red star.” I kept on telling myself: “God,
what do I do?” In the end I went for the cross.

Russian
pride: Every Russian is proud of his country. I am proud of our culture, our
architects, our painters, musicians, composers. On a level of mentality and
character, Russians are very patient. Throughout history we have consistently
proved to be an enduring lot.

On
Russian literature: People abroad don’t know about Pushkin. They know of
Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, but they never think about Pushkin. And he is one of
the best. He created the modern Russian language. Dostoevsky and Tolstoy are
for thinkers, but Pushkin is great for everyone.

Favourite
place in London: Bloomsbury. It’s so relaxed. You go there and you are
surrounded by all these academics and intellectuals. My university and the
British Museum are located nearby. Small shops, parks, coffee shops -
everything is so delightful.

A
Russian hangout in London: I love popping into Russkiy Mir on Goodge Street. I
know the people who work there and it’s always nice to have a chat with them.